Chef Wins Recipe Of The Year Award At National Personal Chef Convention

Aug. 14, 2009 - PRLog -- Chef Lia Soscia, Certified Personal Chef with the United States Personal Chef Association (USPCA) has taken top honors for Recipe Of The Year during the 2009 USPCA national convention in New Orleans, LA.

Chef Soscia’s winning recipe was a Brasciole (pronounced bra’zhul) dish that she created for her Personal Chef Service clients. “I am always searching for recipes that work for me for my clients.  Often times I find that the best recipes are a blend of two or more proven dishes that compliment each other” Chef Soscia stated.

Chef Lia Soscia is owner/operator of Home Cooking Consultant (http://www.cheflia.com), a Personal Chef Service operating in Long Island, NY since 2004.  Chef Soscia is a graduate of the Culinary Business Academy which provides specialized business development training for culinary talented individuals.

Judges for this annual competition consisted of professional members within the USPCA.  Chef Donna Mintz of Basil And Barbells PCS in New York stated ”My vote is for Lia's Brasciole.  I saw this recipe, tried it and OMG!  It was amazing and although the ingredient list is extensive, the recipe is not very difficult”.  “This recipe is one I would and could use for clients. It freezes well, is written for pressure cooker - not my thing, but easily adapts to stovetop or oven” stated USPCA Certified Personal Chef Barbara Converse, owner of Dining By Design PCS in Boca Raton, FL.

Several hundred personal chefs from throughout the United States and Canada converged on New Orleans this July to participate in educational workshops, business seminars and to hear from industry experts on a wide variety of subjects of importance to independent culinary business operators. “The annual convention is primarily a business building and educational event designed to help independent personal chefs strengthen their business and expand their service” stated USPCA President Chef Gail Kenagy. She continued, “Each year we are faced with a huge stack of recipe entries.  Judges spend countless hours reviewing and qualifying recipes.  This decision is not easy.  USPCA members are a creative bunch and always amaze me with their unique talents”.

The 2010 USPCA Personal Chef National Convention will be held in Denver, CO, July 30 - August 1, 2010.

There are 5,000+ working personal chefs with the overwhelming majority associated with the USPCA. Personal chefs prepare custom delicious, nutritious meals daily for a wide range of clients in all 50 states and throughout Canada.  Clients using this special service represent active households, affluent seniors and individuals with restrictive dietary needs.  Unlike a private chef who works for one household in an employer-employee relationship, personal chefs own and operate their own independent business and will service 12-20 unique clients each month.  The direct tangible benefits to each client will be the time saved in the actual meal preparation and the associated shopping, while still enjoying exactly what they’ve requested at a cost no greater than a comparable restaurant.  “The coveted dinner hour which has eroded over the years as career and outside influences demand more and more time of individuals is being reinstated thanks to personal chefs who allow families to unite with minimal effort to enjoy healthful custom prepared meals” Kenagy stated.

Locating a personal chef can be accomplished through http://www.hireachef.com, the largest search site for personal chefs.

The Culinary Business Academy is the educational division of the USPCA, providing world class culinary business education to individuals having the expertise and desire to create excellent meals.  “The Culinary Business Academy is the only provider of personal chef business education to be licensed by a Private Post-Secondary Commission on Higher Education” stated Phil Ellison, USPCA Executive Director.  “Routinely we help individuals reach their goal of independence through professional education and guidance, so that they may be successful and productive in a career field that is enjoyable and rewarding with a very high level of satisfaction” Ellison continued.

The USPCA also monitors and administers the only federally recognized certification program for personal chefs.  Through demonstrated abilities and the acquisition of industry related education and business development courses, the designation of Certified Personal Chef (CPC) is bestowed.  Continued efforts and ongoing educational advancement are requirements to maintain this highly sought after designation.  All USPCA personal chefs are required to possess a standard level of proficiency and complete a testing series.  Only the USPCA requires testing of each member, and each USPCA personal chef is provided with general liability insurance.

“For a service concept that is almost 20 years old, the industry has just begun to emerge.  Busy active households and the demand for quality nutritional meals will certainly help shape the landscape of this industry for years to come” Ellison stated.  The USPCA remains ever vigilant to stay ahead of demand by developing new educational opportunities, providing business leadership and recognizing trends in consumer needs.

For a no-obligation consultation to determine if a personal chef fills your ‘What’s for Dinner’ dilemma, contact a personal chef at http://www.hireachef.com


For further information:
http://www.uspca.com
http://www.culinarybusiness.com
Contact: Phil Ellison, Executive Director, USPCA
610 Quantum Road NE
Rio Rancho, NM 87124
505-994-6392

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The United States Personal Chef Association is the oldest and largest personal chef association. It provides training and support for the majority of the over 5, 000 personal chefs currently working throughout the United States and Canada.